Assistant Controller of the Passport Section of the Department of Immigration and Emigration Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe yesterday told Colombo Chief Magistrate that former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Chulananda Perera ordered him to issue a passport to Shashi Weerawansa. Two cases filed against Shashi Weerawansa, the wife of National Freedom Front (NFF) Leader Wimal Weerawansa over an incident where she(Weerawansa) had fraudulently obtained two passports, including a diplomatic passport by submitting forged documents to the Department of Immigration and Emigration, was yesterday taken up for trial before Colombo Chief Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake.
Evidence was recorded from former Assistant Controller of the Passport Section of the Department of Immigration and Emigration Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe.
Giving evidence before court, Anuruddha told court that every passport is valid only up to 10 years and Shashi Weerawansa had not provided a copy of her normal passport to obtain the diplomatic passport.
“If anyone obtains a diplomatic passport, he or she should handover some documents to the Department of Immigration and Emigration,”Nishantha further said.
Evidence was let by Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris.
Shashi Weerawansa was arrested on February, 2015 over the charge of obtaining diplomatic and general passports illegally. She had allegedly submitted a birth certificate with forged names and dates of birth to obtain the passports. She is currently out on bail. President’s Counsel Anil Silva appeared for the Defence. After considering all matters,the Magistrate fixed the trail for October 19.
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